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A More Upbeat Mood About Depression: Stigma and Mental Health Take
Center Stage

Expert Patients John McManamy and Deborah Gray share their insights
on breaking news about depression

Mental health issues entered the spotlight this week, as two
prominent community figures private battles with depression
became public knowledge. In Montgomery County, Executive Doug
Duncan announced that he was dropping out of the governors
race to cope with clinical depression. The Washington Post
optimistically titled the article announcing his withdrawal
In
Politics, a More Upbeat Mood About Depression. The same
week witnessed the tragic death of publisher and public servant
Phil Merrill, who committed suicide after allegedly suffering a
period of severe depression. The Washington Post reports,
Top
Brass Recall Merrills Frankness, Can-Do
Spirit.

So what does this really mean for us? Here's what our expert
patients John McManamy and Deborah Gray have to say.

John McManamy reflects . . .

Our greatest President, Abraham Lincoln, unfortunately would not
even be able to run for dogcatcher today on account of his
depression. Not with all the media scrutiny these days.
Lincolns melancholy (as they called depression back then) was
well known to the voters, yet living successfully with his
affliction was seen as a character virtue and a political asset
rather than a weakness and a political liability. In some ways,
their age was more enlightened than ours.

Both depression and bipolar can confer obvious advantages in the
right people. With depression the rose-colored glasses come off and
one can think realistically and not get talked into making bad
decisions. Bipolar works well in the productivity, visionary, and
charisma departments. Bill Clinton, I contend, was a unipolar
hypomanic, not a full-blown bipolar but able to use the
benefits of hypomania to his full advantage (but also,
unfortunately, exercising extremely bad personal judgment).